Wear Sunscreen As Though Your Life Depends On It

The sun is good for plants and sometimes people.

Anyone who knows me knows I wear sunscreen. Even when it rains. Even to get the mail. I’ve worn it pretty much every single day since I was nineteen, primarily because I’m vain and don’t want to wrinkle, but I’d also because I’d like to avoid skin cancer, which can be deadly.

I wear sunscreen carefully

In the early days, I used chemical sunscreens. They did the job. One summer, I came home from Turkey whiter than when I’d left Connecticut.

But, in light of evidence that chemical products disrupt hormones, I stopped using them. These days I look for products with a low score from the Environmental Working Group, my go-to resource for information on product safety.

Because I wear sunscreen in all circumstances, I go through a lot of it. I have fairly sensitive skin (I used to have rosacea, too, but that’s a subject for another post). I don’t like to use anything greasy, especially in the summer months when I tend to shine in the wrong way.

What I’m using now

Right now, I’m using MyChelle Unscented SPF 28, a broad spectrum product, which feels good on the skin and dries to a matte finish. A 2.3 oz tube seems to last a long time (I’ve just only opened my third since October, but maybe that’s because I have a small face). It gets the lowest possible rating, a good thing, from EWG.

Best of all, it’s an effective sunscreen. I volunteered at the Mile 13 Water Station at the Boston Marathon again this year, the sunny Monday after Easter. I got a wicked burn on the v-shape on my chest where I’d neglected to apply it.

However, my face and neck remained ghostly.

I like this one.

The downside to MyChelle 28? Once it dries, you really shouldn’t mess with it. If you try to move it around, it’ll flake. It’s best to apply it in good light to avoid streaking.

It is a zinc oxide formula, which, when applied properly, dries to a lovely clear matte finish. However, it you apply it haphazardly, you’ll end up with a white streak. I’ve done it.

I’ll keep you posted on new products I use

Wearing sunscreen every day has paid off big time. When I tell people how long I’ve been married or mention my children’s ages, they tell me they didn’t realize I was so old.

I’m always looking out for the best, so when a new and safe product hits the market, I’m eager to try it out. I’ve just ordered a new sunscreen developed with technology pioneered in Spain. I will let you know how I like it.

In the meantime, if you are going to wear sunscreen (and I hope you will), be aware that people who live on certain sections of the planet (like mine) tend to be woefully deficient in Vitamin D. Ideally, we are supposed to get Vitamin D from the rays of the sun, which sunscreen prevents.